Travel Goals

1. Climb to Everest Base Camp.
2. Climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
3. Learn to Scuba Dive.
4. Visit every continent.
5. See the Galapagos Islands.
6. Sail down the Amazon River.
7. Climb Ayer's Rock.
8. Ride the Trans-Siberian.
9. Go into space.
10. Go wild at La Tomintina.
11. See the sunrise from Mt. Fuji.
12. Gaze at Borobudor.
13. Visit the Pyramids
14. Safari in East Africa.
15. Go to the World Cup!
16. See Machu Picchu.
17. Join the Century Club.
18. Visit Antarctica.
19. Do development work.
20. See Petra Jordan.
21. Backpack the Eastern Block.
22. See the Northern Lights.
23. Vegas Baby! Vegas!
24. Greek Island hop.
25. Cycle Tuscany.
26. Visit India.
27. Lounge in the Seychelles.
28. See Morocco.
29. Oktoberfest!
30. Caravan across the Sahara.
31. Visit Tibet.
32. Fly first class.
33. Go to Israel.
34. Carnival!!!!
35. Mardi Gras!
36. Cannes Film Festival.
37. Sundance Film Festival.
38. Eat a sushi meal at NOBU
39. Pacific Island hop.
40. Spend a night in the Ice Hotel.
41. See Glacier National Park.

Learn a Foreign Language

Are you planning to travel around Europe? Why not learn Italian or French before you go to maximize your experience.

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The Saturday City: Places I Don’t Like

August 23, 2008

Each Saturday for the last three months, I’ve been highlighting different cities from around the world. Each time I have nothing but praise for all these places. I’m constantly asked if I like every place I visit because it sure seems that way. Well, I don’t. Generally, I find something great in every city but I have come across some places I just don’t like:

Atlanta
Hotlanta? More like Craplanta! I didn’t enjoy this place one bit and it might be my least favorite place in the world. It was dirty, grimy, lacked anything really interesting, and had traffic worse than Bangkok because they have no subway system. Why? Because white suburbanites are too afraid too that if they had one, black people would come from the city out into their area. Seriously. No lie. The only good thing about the city was that it was hot.

Milan
Milan is another useless city. It’s also dirty, grimy, lacks anything but shops, and has some of the rudest Italians this side of Naples. Even most Milanese don’t like it! They just are there for work. The only reason to go to Milan is to shop, otherwise you are just wasting your time.

Birmingham
As you know, I had a lot of good experiences in England. It’s such a great country but if I could skip one place it would be this city. Outside the shopping mall that is the city center, it looks like this place hasn’t been renovated since 1960. I also felt unsafe walking the streets here. The city just gave me a very creepy vibe.

Pattaya
Located on Thailand’s Gulf coast, this city is famous worldwide for prostitutes. Fat old men from around the world come here in search of someone who will tell them they are beautiful, even if that’s only because they have money. Pattaya is like Bangkok on the sea and pollution from the city has ruined the harbor. Now, you need to take a boat out to an overcrowded island in order to find a place worth swimming. The city is popular with local Thais who come for the theme park and Pattaya has tried to clean up it’s image over the last few years but until they clean up that harbor and the fat old men, I’m fine with never going again.

Brisbane
OK, I don’t hate this city like I do the others. It’s more a general ambivalence. There’s nothing really wrong with Brisbane (I mean Southbank is nice) but I found the city to remind me too much of America. It also really lacked any culture or anything interesting besides the shops. I’d go back to Brisbane in the future but did I love the city? Not really.

There are plenty of places in the world I don’t like. Not all Saturday cities are glitter and gold and every so often I’ll rant about one or two I don’t like. However, the explorer in me finds the best in all places.

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Posted by NomadicMatt | Filed Under Saturday City

Comments

23 Responses to “The Saturday City: Places I Don’t Like”

Julie on August 23rd, 2008 4:25 pm

I gotta defend Atlanta. I lived there for four years and went to college at Emory and there are lots of reasons to love Atlanta… despite the abysmal public transportation system (which is, believe it or not, better than it was when I lived there in the late 90s. The bad public transportation system is also a reflection of the South in general. For lots of reasons, cars have long been a much more important part of transportation culture than any public transport. Does race have something to do with it? YES. But so do lots of other factors, including the fact that urban sprawl is a relatively recent phenomenon and there just wasn’t the infrastructure or the urban ridership to support public transport).

I love Atlanta because it’s truly a university/college town. With Emory, GA Tech, Agnes Scott, Spelman, and Morehouse (to name only a few), Atlanta attracts some of the best teaching talent, but also performers, lecturers, and other figures (Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter) to offer special events that are free and open to the public.

I love Atlanta for it’s Farmer’s Market. The Your DeKalb Farmer’s Market, to be specific. If you’re a foodie, the Farmer’s Market is an obligatory stop. You’ll love it. I promise.

I love Atlanta for its art scene, which is getting better all the time. I love the artist’s markets, the revitalized downtown, the High Museum.

I love Atlanta for its airport with inexpensive domestic and intl. flights, for being a great jumping off point to many destinations in the South. For its summertime concerts at Chastain Park. Its food. Atlanta has some incredible restaurants.

Give it another chance; Atlanta’s got some great stuff!
Sarah on August 23rd, 2008 5:08 pm

You talk about Atlanta like I talk about Cincinasty…a city I love to hate.

It is hot, the traffic absolutely sucks, and they’ve had their share of race relations dilemmas. But it’s not all bad. Here’s what I love about Atlanta–
*some terrific museums, like The High, Fernbank, and Cyclorama
*a phenomenal symphony orchestra and ballet
*a good major league ballpark (and sometimes a team to match)
*plenty of good and diverse food offerings. If you get out into the neighborhoods there are some terrific restaurants and markets from every point on the globe. I fondly remember Atlanta as the first place I had a ‘real’ Cuban sandwich, at a divey lunch counter where no one spoke English. It was awesome.
*going for a run in Piedmont Park
*they have a panda at their zoo

And in the interest of full disclosure because you do have faithful readers all over the world–it must be said that Atlanta does have both rail (MARTA) and bus service. It’s not New York or DC; there are some huge flaws in the system. But there is a system and I have used it many times.

I love your website…you have been a huge catalyst in my current plan to go take some time and really get to know England.
Geoff on August 23rd, 2008 6:42 pm

Nice to see we agree on Milan!

I could have saved you a trip to Birmingham - I think most Brits would struggle to have much positive to say about our second city.
Quickroute on August 23rd, 2008 9:57 pm

that’s an interesting angle. you always here people raving about where they DO like. I would add Darwin (just too hot), Limerick in Ireland (rough rough!), Stuttgart (boring as hell)
Mark H on August 23rd, 2008 10:44 pm

Interesting. I went to Milan for one hour and thought “what am I doing here - its all banks and shops” and got back on the train. I am annoyed I didn’t go to see Leonardo’s Last Supper now (but didn’t read up on it till I’d left Milan). Similarly, I lived in the UK for three years and spent a morning in Birmingham and that was more than enough.

…but then I find my home town (Brisbane) makes the list - a place I loved as I grew up - but your comments disappointingly kind of ring true. It is pleasant and Southbank is pretty good but Its main highlight is being the gateway to the Sunshine and Gold Coasts - superb beaches on any measure.

I wonder if you’ll find lovers of Atlanta, Birmingham or Milan.
The Dude on August 24th, 2008 4:57 am

alice springs is probably worse. trash and litter everywhere, all the park banks are full of bird shit and the parks full of junkies and alcoholics. even the bottleshops wont open before 2pm so that they dont have drunk people in the streets before 4pm.
plus it has the highest crime rate in australia.
Tanya on August 24th, 2008 5:56 am

Thanks for this article, Matt! Traveling can be disappointing, but we don’t often talk about this aspect of what we do. I’ve been to Milan as well, and I totally agree with you. It’s lame. Possibly my least favorite city ever.
Cuckoo on August 24th, 2008 6:50 am

I have been to Milan and Brisbane from this list and for Milan I agree with you but Brisbane was ok.
For me Canberra will go down for its cold hospitality compared to Brisbane. (I am comparing only Australian cities) .
NomadicMatt on August 24th, 2008 3:58 pm

@julie: if I ever get back to the states, i may go one day but it’s not high on my list with so many places i haven’t seen yet but maybe we can take a trip together!

@sarah: you’re right, there is the marta but it doesn’t really go anywhere! Though we may not agree on atlanta, i’m glad you like the site!!

@geoff: next time, let me know!

@quickroute: I loved Darwin!!! but i do like the heat so that might be why.

@Mark: looks like we have the same tastes!

@the dude: that’s very true and it’s sketchy place. I did not felt safe there but I did like the it’s location….i just thought the place was boring.

@tanya: i agree!!!! so bad. ps- paris is great but there’s no tourist signs!!!!

@cuckoo: never been to canberra. heard it was pretty boring. is that true?
NewWrldYankee on August 24th, 2008 8:54 pm

Birmingham is on your hit list?! I kind of just saw it as non-discrept, but found the people to be so much nicer than in London!. Of course, I got robbed there, so that mayyyy have affected my opinion a little you think? It was all pigeons, expensive cars, and indian restuarants to me!
Anthony on August 25th, 2008 2:46 am

Dude, I was dropping by just to say hello, but you cant diss Milan! Atlanta, yes. I was´t too thrilled about it the few hours I was there while I waited for my flight. I went out into the city and I didnt like the downtown much, dirty and boring.

But Milan! Gasp! LOL Take it easy man
Lola on August 25th, 2008 8:35 am

Brussels didn’t do it for me.
nomad4ever on August 25th, 2008 11:18 am

Oh yeah, I can feel what you wrote about Pattaya. I was there about 7 years back and the sea had some kind of acid feel in it. Completely dirty, polluted and the whole town a mess, filled with those mentioned fat and disgusting tourists. One to never return to.
Theresa on August 25th, 2008 1:07 pm

I agree with Milan. Another European city that sticks out as being a dud to me is Hamburg. As for the the U.S., Houston’s way up there on my list of least favorite cities. I went to school there…so it wasn’t just a quick visit…and I can say that the only thing I miss about it are 1) the good, quick, cheap Tex-Mex food, and 2) the warm winters.
foxnomad on August 25th, 2008 4:53 pm

I gotta agree on Atlanta, I didn’t enjoy the city the times that I’ve been there. Then again, cities aren’t really my thing..
transienttravels on August 25th, 2008 11:37 pm

I’ve never been there, but my mother was born in Birmingham. Whenever I am in a cheery conversation with someone from England and I bring that up, they immediately get a disgusted look on their face. Once someone said, “oh, sorry.”
laradunston on August 26th, 2008 12:00 am

Milan! Matt, my god! How long did you spend there?! I’ve written two guidebooks to Milan and spent a lot of time in the city. For many years it was just a stopover city for me, because we’d take flights from Dubai to Milan and then get a connection elsewhere, but then we’d spend months at a time there ( we recently spent a month there renting an apartment for a new book) and we fell in love. I’ve travelled all over Italy, spent time in every major city and town across the country, and Milan for me is one of the most authentic, laidback and enjoyable cities in Italy.

Aside from having Italy’s best restaurants (and best shopping), it also has the best aperitivo scene, some of the country’s best art and architecture, some of most beautiful courtyards, fantastic markets, and down-to-earth locals. I’ve never met a Milanese who doesn’t love Milan, but what’s also wonderful about the city is because it’s the country’s economic powerhouse, you have people living there from all over Italy and all over the world. And they like it that Milan is not on the tourist travel, that it’s not a Rome or Venice crawling with tourists.

It’s definitely a city that takes time to reveal itself to you. You have to get beyond the tourist sights. The first place to head is the Navigli - Italy’s liveliest neighbourhood with a bar and eating scene like no other in Europe. The unfortunate thing is that most people only see it as a place to go to get somewhere else and judge it by either the areas around the two main train stations and the piazza del Duomo, when in fact all the best stuff is nowhere near here. Although, having said that, one of the best things to do in Italy is explore the Duomo rooftop at sunset. It’s sublime.
Ces on August 26th, 2008 12:26 am

..breathtaking. places..
NomadicMatt on August 26th, 2008 8:18 am

@Lara: If I get back to italy, I’ll go again with a list of places from your book to give it another try. It’s not above another try.
Kirsty on August 26th, 2008 6:03 pm

I think the people make any city and that’s why I love Brisbane. Any place you go to will be loads better if you have a local to show you around and friends to hang out with. I had a blast there twice. Once for six weeks and once for a weekend to visit friends I met in London. So because of those good memories, it’s my favourite city in Australia. But if you were going purely on beauty or things to see and do, it probably wouldn’t really come close.

So hey, when do you get to Thailand? I’m in Bangkok now and will be here a week until my friend goes home. Then I dunno… maybe Burma? Or up to Chang Mai and then onto Burma. Keep me posted.
Heatheronhertravels on August 27th, 2008 10:31 am

It’s good to be honest and say there are some places that just don’t have that charm we’re looking for when travelleing - yet even these may have happy memories if we have friends or family or if we connect with the people there.
Stevo on August 30th, 2008 11:29 pm

My pick would have been Bangkok. To be avoided except as an overnight stay.
Ben on October 3rd, 2008 3:44 pm

Ah Brisbane (my hometown) makes the list. I’m surprised, i mean after visiting europe i favoured my city over all the recent places i’ve visited.

It is true that Brisbane doesn’t really have anything going on, probably why we go out to sports more. Why is reminding you of America a bad thing?

Also did you go to the top of Mt Coot-tha at night, because it really gives an amazing view